Wow! We cannot believe that Christmas has already came and went. Hopefully, you spent the past weekend kicking your feet up, relaxing, and patting yourself on the back for all the work you put into making your holiday events happen, while conveniently ignoring that mess you’ve been meaning to clean up. Yet, now you are faced with the daunting realization that a new year is upon you. So, are YOU ready for 2015? As you form your personal and/or professional New Year’s resolutions, keep these 5 things in mind:

1. This year will only be different if you make it different. It is so easy to convince yourself that this is the year that you will finally do things better. Yet, you are inevitably setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you don’t have a personal strategy or solid business plan in place to help you achieve your resolutions. In fact, Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and associate professor at Harvard Business School, reveals that the destructive habit of continuously setting unreasonable goals actually does more harm than good by raising levels of anxiety and lowering feelings of self-worth when these goals aren’t successfully realized. In short, focus on the realistic process of what it is going to take in order to reach your goals instead of on the goal itself.

2. Less is more. A list that is too long is overwhelming and likely to be unsuccessful. If you write down every single goal that you want to accomplish in your lifetime, reality will quickly remind you that “ain’t nobody got time for that”. Simply choose the ones that are the most realistic to accomplish so that it will be a major motivation and confidence boost when you are able to start checking those things off your list.

3. Vague goals will impede your ability to succeed. Not only will too long of a list put you at a disadvantage, so will a list that is too vague. Get specific and narrow your focus to tasks that are actually easy enough to squeeze into your busy schedule. If you want to “be cleanlier”, don’t expect to be cleaning your whole house and organizing your basement weekly. Instead, set your sights on tasks that are more attainable, such as aiming to make your bed every. single. day.

4. Hold yourself accountable. Every year, like so many others, you probably make your New Year’s resolutions, and every year, sooner rather than later, they get swept under the rug just like that fad diet you did really awesome on for like two whole weeks. Guess what happens when you do this? Probably nothing because there is no one or nothing to hold you accountable for ceasing to make good on these promises. The upside is that this year can be different. This year you can get on social media and outline your goals and deadlines to your followers and propose a consequence to happen if you don’t follow through. Because it is public, you will feel obligated to do whatever it takes. Moreover, make it a financial consequence and see how fast you get things done! For example, you can tag a friend or a colleague (who also has a goal set) and compete by saying that whoever doesn’t complete their goal must buy the other one dinner. Additionally, what this whole public accountability thing also provides you with is support to show you that you aren’t in this alone.

5. You can begin NOW, if you want. If you are totally convinced that the actual symbolism of marking the New Year will essentially create the New You then feel free to wait, it is your choice. But just remember that you really don’t have to wait until January 1, 2015 to get started. There is no time to start that is better than the here and now, because after all, we aren’t promised tomorrow!

Can’t figure out what your resolutions should be? Follow our new Pinterest board “Try This in 2015” for some amazing ideas to get you started!

Already have your goals in mind? Share them below and we will be your accountability partner!